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DATE: Saturday
5th November 2005
MATCH PREVIEW BY: Dale Brookes
Well here we go again then and on Saturday we face West Ham in a game in
my view we really need to win! We have lost too many games so far this
season and it’s about time we got our act sorted by putting a little run
together. But to be honest at the moment I just cannot see that happening,
our defence is a shambles and we can’t seem to score. We face the Hammers
this weekend who are in excellent form and they have only lost once at
home so far this season so it’s going to be a real tough game. Although
with Kamara and Albrechtsen both likely to be back we will be a lot
stronger so hopefully we can go there and get a point at the very least. Prediction time then
and I think it will undoubtedly be a tough game but if Robson sticks with
Inamoto and Watson in the midfield then we could be onto something,
especially if Kamara plays as well, if that’s the case I fancy a 2-2 draw
and although draws are not good enough for us at present I’ll take that
result under the circumstances. COME ON YOU BAGGIES!!! ALBION
Manager Bryan Robson has no fresh injury problems going into Saturday’s
game although the Baggies are still without Zoltan Gera (groin), Chris
Kirkland (bruised kidney) and Paul Robinson (suspended). Martin
Albrechtsen and Kevin Campbell will come back into the fray after shaking
off short term knocks as will Diomansy Kamara who missed the Newcastle
game due to paternity leave.
WEST HAM UNITED
West Ham boss Alan Pardew
will be boosted by the return of midfielder Mark Noble who returns to the
first team squad following a long term back problem. Matthew Etherington,
Nigel Reo-Coker and Jeremie Aliadiere all failed to train on Thursday but
should be fit in time for the game. THIS SEASON
West Ham
currently lie in 9th place in the Premiership with 15 points from ten
games. They were knocked out of the Carling Cup in the 3rd round by Bolton
Wanderers. Marlon Harewood is the club's leading scorer with four league
and cup goals. Alan Pardew's men have won one and lost three of their last
four games, the sole victory being a 2-1 win at home against
Middlesbrough. LAST SEASON Finished 6th in
the Coca-Cola Championship and were promoted to the Premiership after
beating Preston North End in the play-off final. Knocked out of the FA Cup in the
4th round by
Sheffield United and
beaten in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup by Chelsea. Marlon Harewood finished the season as
the Hammers' top scorer with 22 league and cup goals. THE MANAGER
Born in
Wimbledon in 1961, Alan Pardew began his playing career in non-league
football with Yeovil Town before moving to Crystal Palace in 1987. He
spent four years at Selhurst Park before he moved on to Charlton Athletic.
He ended his playing career with Barnet.
It was whilst he was at Barnet that Alan began his coaching
career, a move to
Reading to become the Royals' reserve team boss
would follow. In the summer of 1999 Reading decided to scrap their
reserve team meaning that Alan was out of work, although it would not be for
long. After Royals’ boss Tommy Burns was sacked in September 1999 Alan
returned to the club as caretaker manager, within a month he had been
offered the job permanently.
He led
Reading to the play-off final in 2000/01 where
they would lose to Walsall after extra-time.
The following season the heart-break of the play-off defeat was
forgotten as Alan took the club to promotion, finishing as runners-up behind
champions Brighton & Hove Albion.
Despite now being at a higher level the 2002/03 season saw
Reading continue to impress, finishing fourth in the league before
losing to Wolves in the play-off semi-final. The 2003/04 season saw another
impressive start from the Royals, unbeaten during their first five games and
in second place in the league. Alan’s hugely successful
spell in charge was soon to end however.
Following the dismissal of Glenn Roeder, West Ham were on the
look-out for a new manager and Alan Pardew was the man they wanted.
Reading however were not willing to give up their man without a fight and
refused the London club permission to approach him, a move which led to Alan
handing in his resignation on September 10. Due to legal wranglings Alan
would not take over at Upton Park until October 18.
His start at West Ham wasn’t particularly impressive, it was
eight games before his new side registered a victory.
However, despite the poor start to his reign at
Upton Park he did lead the Hammers into the play-off final where they
lost to Crystal Palace. The 2004/05 season saw Alan once again lead
the club into the play-offs, after overcoming Ipswich Town in the
semi-finals a Bobby Zamora goal was enough to see off Preston in the
Millennium Stadium final. After two years out of the Premiership Alan had
led the Hammers back into the big time. Despite
being tipped to go straight back down the Hammers have made an impressive
start to life back in the Premiership. So much so that in early November
2005 Alan signed a new five year deal, firmly cementing his position as the
man in charge at Upton Park.
SQUAD LIST (Squad numbers in brackets)
Goalkeepers: Defenders: Midfielders: Strikers: ONES
TO WATCH Matthew Etherington - Pace, skill, is brilliant going forward
but poor at defending. Always likely to conjure up an opportunity whether
it be with his crossing or his ability to score from distance. Yossi Benayoun - Israeli who can play anywhere across the
midfield, has excellent vision matched with his clever skill. Has taken the
Premiership by storm so far and has two goals to his name, will be looking
for more on Saturday. Marlon Harewood - Has
also taken to the Premiership much better than expected. Has strength and
pace and can score goals at this level. THE GROUND West Ham moved to
the Boleyn Ground, Upton Park in 1904. The stadium currently has a
capacity of 35,056. The all-time
record attendance for the ground was set in October 1970 when 42,322
attended West Ham's First Division game against Tottenham Hotspur. The
all-seated record attendance was set in September 2002 when 35,050
attended the Premiership clash with Manchester City.
The two sides first met in competitive action during
the 1912/13 season. The then non-league West Ham knocked Albion out of the
FA Cup in a 1st round 2nd replay at Chelsea.
The 1923/24 season saw the first league meetings
between the two sides. West Ham won the first game at Upton Park 1-0
before playing out a 0-0 draw a week later at The Hawthorns.
Albion's biggest win over the Hammers is 7-1, achieved
at The Hawthorns in October 1925. The Baggies have also recorded two 5-1
victories, in November 1931 at Upton Park and in May 1985 at The
Hawthorns.
The Hammers' biggest win over Albion came in April 1965
when they ran out 6-1 winners at Upton Park. United also beat Albion 5-2
in East London in November 1988 in the short-lived Simod Cup competition.
Albion have won their last two games at Upton Park. A
Jason Roberts goal was enough to give the club a 1-0 win in September 2002
whilst on their last visit in November 2003 the Baggies came from 3-0 down
to record a memorable 4-3 victory.
LAST MEETING AT UPTON PARK
West Ham United
3-4 Albion
West Ham United:
James, Repka, Pearce, Carrick, Dailly, Etherington, Quinn (Lee 79),
Mullins, Hutchison, Defoe, Deane. Subs not used: Bywater,
Ferdinand, Kilgallon, Cohen Goalscorers:
Defoe 1, Deane 10, 18
Albion: Hoult,
Haas, Robinson (Clement 85), Gilchrist, Johnson, Gaardsoe, Gregan, O'Connor
(Sakiri 56), Koumas, Dobie (Hughes 69), Hulse. Subs not used: Murphy,
J Chambers
Goalscorers:
Hulse 25, 40, Deane 66 (own goal), Hughes 77
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Assistant Referees: Dave Bryan (Lincolnshire), Ralph Bone (Kent)
Half-Time:
West Ham United 3-2 Albion
Attendance: 30,359 Baggies striker Lee Hughes completed the
comeback of comebacks as Gary Megson's side shot back to the top of the
First Division after an incredible 4-3 victory over their promotion rivals
despite being 3-0 down within 18 minutes. It was a game that was branded
the Division's game of the day and it certainly turned out to be that with
plenty of action and incidents to satisfy any neutral that was at the
game.
CURRENT CONNECTIONS
Hammers’ Welsh international defender Danny Gabbidon started
his career at The Hawthorns as a trainee in 1997, he made just over 20
appearances in the
Albion first team before moving to Cardiff City, initially on
loan, at the start of the 2000/01 season. In July 2005 after four years at
Ninian Park Danny moved to West Ham in a joint transfer deal with his
Wales and City team mate James Collins.
PAST CONNECTIONS
Amongst the
players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Jeroen
Boere, David Burrows, Peter Butler, Franz Carr, David Cross, Alan Dickens,
Bobby Gould, Tommy Green, Sir Geoff Hurst, Harry Kinsell, 'Chippy'
Simmons, David Speedie, Gary Strodder, Steve Walford and Chris Whyte.
Ex-Albion boss Archie Macaulay was a West Ham player;
Stuart Pearson, who had a spell as assistant boss at The Hawthorns also
played for the Hammers; Another former Albion assistant manager Frank
Burrows had a spell as reserve team boss at Upton Park.
ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS WEST HAM UNITED LAST TEN MATCHES AGAINST WEST HAM UNITED
Tickets for this game are now on general sale and will remain on sale from the East Stand Ticket Office until 3pm Friday. The game is all-ticket and none will be on sale to Albion fans at Upton Park. The club have been allocated 2,800 seats, priced £30 adults, £17 seniors and £1 under-16s. |
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